Wall cleaning device



Oct 28, 195s c. SPERKA 2,857,606

' WALL CLEANING DEVICE Filed .July 1:5, v1956 INVEN TUR.

United States Thisinvention relates'to a mechanical device for washing walls and the. like and more particularlylo a powerV driven unit.

arent() A general object of the invention is to-,devise,a novel,

andelicient cleaning mechanism which maybe simplyy dismantled Vand assembled, and a further object is to provide a machine easily' manipulated and wherein the Y parts are. juxtaposed in a manner. to obtain a separation of the dirt laden fluid from kthe clean `uid.

A more4 ,Specific objectA is `to provider a wall .washing device incorporating a soft sponge-.likecleaning- ,roll which has a bottom side Varranged to dip into a trough of.

cleaning liquid anda forward sfidetorub on thewallmto... be cleaned the roll having a back 4side tightlyf engaged by a wringing 4roll fof ,squeezingput `thedirt laden fluid from the cleaning roll.

A furtherobject-is to .deyisefa means .whichfinvaddition to wringing Vvthe. cleaningroll Valso,.func tions to wipe the cleaning roll formore adequately'sloughing oft dirt and the like therefrom.such asca1cimine,for example. Y These andA other objects Vof `thel-inventionwill be more apparent 'from the.. speciication and the drawings,-

wherein:

Figure 1 is :a transverse-verticalsectional AView of'ltheb'v invention -taken substantially -on theL =line 1-'1 `of Figure` 3; i

cover opened and-.fragmentarily shown; a

Figure .3 is ia longitudinaL-sectional View taken-,sub-f stantially on the' lineA 3-3 of-FigureZ, andi-"1 Figure 4 is a fragmentary.;side;;elevational view of the structure.

Describingthe invention indetail andhaving particular reference to the drawings, the cleaning device generally designated 2 comprises a cleaning head 3 which includes a housing or support 4 comprising a bottom trough portion 5 and a cover portion 6.

The trough portion 5 includes a generally horizontal bottom wall 8 and integral upwardly diverging front and rear walls 9 and 10 which are interconnected by side walls 11 and 12. The rear wall has a rear upstanding flange portion 13 to which is attached a hinge 14 which connects to the rear Wall 15 of the cover 6 whereby the cover is swingable to covering position as shown in Figure l or to open position as best seen in Figure 2.

The cover 6 in addition to its rear wall 15 includes an arcuate top wall 16 and laterally spaced vertical side walls 17 and 18 which align respectively with the side walls 11 and 12 of the bottom portion and clamp in concaves therebetween in the closed position of the cover, a pair of bearings 19, 19 which mount opposite ends 21 and 22 of the shaft 23 (Figure 1) of the cleaning roll 25.

Each bearing has an inner collar 26 abutting against the inner side of the respective side walls which prevents outward displacement of the bearings. The inner side of the bearing 19 mounted on wall 11 abuts against one ICC side.of.a gear.28which .is securedand vconstrained for r rotation .with the roller and driven by a gear 29mounted upon the upper end of a drive shaft 30"Which extends;

through a packinggland. 31 and thefbottom wall- 8 of the housingand` driven by a motor 32 whichvis mounted. on the underside'of thevhousing'and. secured to the bot-- tomzwall .S as by bolts.`I

The cleaning roll has a center core 34 which is con,- neeted to the shaft 23 and theicoreis coveredfby a flexi-V ble sheath 36 of a porous matrix made of rubber,plastic,- or cellulose.. The roller or cylinder 2S ,has -a forwardfor front side37 which. extends throughthe` open side v38 of the housing for contact with the wal1139-as t'nebottom;r side 40 of theroll 25- dips-vinto the 'uidor liquid shownat 41 in the `bottom `of the ytroughand carries Vit to ythe forward side.

The troughis provided, with a rollen-42 along vthenI lower edge of the opening 37 and journaled` from the side walls. of the..trough andpositioned along the upperV edge,.37 .of .the front y-wa1l-9 of the bottom-portion ofzthe housing. The .top wall of the coverA `has an upturned; forward edge portion 44 which defines-Yuan; outwardly'v widening space 4S.with the periphery46 fof the roller- 25 in orderto funnel .-thedirt-ladenyvater over the topllside 47 of. the roller .v ontoy its @back Or-rear sidef43-whereat there is .provided a wringing and scraping roll 49whi`ch is pressed againstthe back side-48 fand thusdisposedqin driven relation to,thef,clea11ing` roll.

The roll. or cylinder ..49wcomprises;` an;outer shellV 50 7' preferably of hard durometer rubber, that is relative to that .ofthe sheathf36 on; the cleaning roll; The shell- 5) is located r.on a metallic vcore-ASL which is 4rotatably"-` journaledzona ,shaft S21-which atv onefA extremity. is `i pivotallymounted at-,53-on-an axis substantially normal to theaxis ofthe shaft 23 on the pin-53 which fis carried if on a pair rof earsforL lugs154--whieh are: connected tofthe wall 11. f Theothenendof th'eshaft- 52fprojects through a vertical'slot 55 which is formed inftheV walln 12 andi: outwardlyof.the-wall12 at .Whichever the shaft 52=1is u, preferablythreaded oirwhichf is :screwedra wing-fruit@ 563 which is toothed at 5`7and-engaging the toothed margins :L

58 alongside the-.slot 'tov hold'qthe.-froller49rin:various.;l positions V`of,.inclinatio n.totheaaxis -offthe roller -2S.;.It 1 's will beobservedthatthe: wall portion .60 is arcuate about'm the center ;ofthepin.53.. `Inwardlyxof the;wall;, 12;theref is provided aclosure.element-.61;.which fmaygbe Alilled-e. with a sealing material 62 pressed against the interior sides at 63 of the walls 12 and 18 in covering relation to the slot 55, the element 61 being sleeved over shaft 52 and movable therewith and having a vertical extent to cover the slot in any position of roller 49. It will be observed that under normal conditions of washing a relatively clean wall, the roller 49 would be positioned generally parallel to the roller 25, however if the wail should be particuarly dirty or if the unit is used to wash calcimine then the roller 49 would be inclined downwardly a greater extent on its rightward side (Figure 3) whereby the roller 49 in addition to pumping out the dirt from the deformable sheath 36 of the cleaning roller also scrapes or wipes or sloughs off the periphery 46 of roller 25 and channels the unclean water or uid rightwardly (Figure 3) or toward the lower end of the roller 49 and into the drain enclosure 65 which is formed in the rearward right corner 66 of the trough by the juncture of walls 11 and 13 and upstanding wall portions 67 and 63, the walls 67 and 68 providing a dam for controlling the level of the water or uid in the trough 5 and providing an overow so that it does not rise above the upper edge 37.

The ow of the dirty uid is further controlled by a drain pan 69 which is underposed with respect to the roller 49 and inclined in a direction toward the drain and has its free edge 70 disposed close to the back side 48Y The handle 72 is preferably attached as at 77 to theV back side of the wall as at 77 and may have a cross member 78 adjacent to its lower end serving as a handhold for an operator and which may serve to hold the unit in upright position when not in use by fitting into a cradle 79 provided on a side of the tank 73.

The lower portion 8i) of the handle is removable at bolt 81. A further handle 82 is provided to permit washing the lower portions of walls adjacent to the iioor upon disconnecting portion 80.

It will be noted that the discharge line 71 may be withdrawn from tank 73 and drained into a sink or any other container when the discharge water is exceptionally dirty or contaminated.

The lines 71, 75 may have quick couplings at 84, 85.

It will also be noted that there is herein shown the roller 49 against the back side of the roller 25 and deforming the same. The resiliency between the rolls is employed to maintain contact, however the roll 49 may be otherwise spring loaded and urged against roll 25 as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A washing head for a wall cleaning machine cornprising a support, a washing roll rotatably carried therefrom and having `a wall contacting side, means for applying cleaning fluid to said roll, and `means for squeezing dirt laden iiuid from said roll comprising a wringing roll disposed in pressing contact with said washing roll, and means adjustably mounting said wringing roll for selectively positioning the same parallel or 4at different angles to the axis of rotation of said washing roll in a plane generally tangential to the periphery of the washing roll in scuiing relation therewith.

2. A washing head comprising a support structure, a washing roller rotatably supported on a generally horizontal axis from said structure, a wringing roller disposed in pressing contact to said washing roller, means pivotally mounting one end of said wringing roller from said support on an axis angularly related to said axis of rotation of said washing roller, and means adjustably securing the other end of the wringing roller from said support in a plurality of positions about the axis of pivot of said wringing roller, said rollers disposed in generally horizontal alignmentand said axis of pivot of the wringing roller extending generally horizontally.

3. A washing head for wall cleaning device comprising a housing, a power driven washing roller having at least a covering of soft, porous material and disposed in lsaid housing and having one side projecting from the housing for wall engagement, means for supplying cleaning uid to said roller, and means for wringing the roller comprising a second roller pressed against the washing roller,

and means movably mounting said second roller for vary-` ing the disposition thereof with respect to the washing roller in rolling and scufling relation thereto in a plane generally tangential to the surface of the latter. l

4. In a device of the class described, a housing, a cleaning roll mounted in the housing for rotation on a given axis, a wringing roller assembly comprising a shaft pivoted at one end to one side of the housing therewithin on an axis transverse to the given axis, a roller rotatable on the shaft, said shaft having another end projecting through a vertically elongated slot in the opposite side of the housing, a closure element carried by the other end, of the shaft within the housing in closing relation to they slot, and a nut threaded on the said other end of the shaft without the housing and engaging the outer side of said other side thereof, and said other side of the housing curved on said transverse axis as center.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,028,090 Frantz Ian. 14, 1936 2,142,605 Dawson et al. Ian. 3, 1939 2,187,585 Grigas Jan. 16, 1940 2,239,183 Willard Apr. 22, 1941 2,257,391 McDonnell Sept. 20, 1941 2,335,491 Demikis Nov. 30, 1943 2,350,342 Fay June 6, 1944 2,587,627 Kauffman Mar. 4, 1952 2,642,601 Saffioti June 23, 1953 2,665,439 More Jan. 12, 1954 2,744,403 Etten May 8, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 851,472 Germany Oct. 6, 1952 

